Village OKs union contract

Maryville trustees approved a contract Wednesday with three members of its Fire Department belonging to Maryville Professional Firefighters Union Local 4531.

Ratification of the former tentative agreement is the result of lengthy negotiations, Village Attorney Steve Wiggington said.

“This comes with my full recommendation,” he said.

As approved, the contract includes a standard health and benefits package and a salary increase of 3.5 percent retroactive to May 1, 2008, and wage increases of 2.5 percent for the final two years of the contract.

Retroactive pay will apply to both the base wage rate and overtime, Wiggington said.

Full details of the contract will be released when all of the paperwork and signatures are finalized.

The Maryville Fire Department consists of approximately 30 paid-per-call members and three full time career firefighter/paramedics. The three full-time members are organized under Local 4531, an affiliate of the International Association of Fire Fighters.

Local union president George May expressed his gratitude to the trustees and board.

“I would just like to thank the Maryville board for meeting with us and getting to the deal we came to,” May said.

Trustee Rod Schmidt told board members they had received the bill for brickwork around the plaza memorial in the amount of $4,868, to which trustees agreed to adjust the budget downward to pay for it, leaving a balance of $63,646.